Expectations aren’t high for the Toronto Raptors this season — but it’s rare for a team’s president to be so frank about it.

“I would use the world rebuilding, that’s the right word,” team president Masai Ujiri said on Monday.

“I would use the world rebuilding, that’s the right word,” team president Masai Ujiri said on Monday. “We have a clear path going forward. In sports, you always want to become competitive, and you play to win, and we’re going to play to win … but it is a rebuilding team, and I think everyone sees that loud and clear.”

Several roster changes during last year’s season saw the team lose many of its experienced, veteran players.

Of the original core who led the team to victory in the 2019 championship, Chris Boucher is all that remains.

Now, the Raptors are nurturing new talent, a sign of hope for the team’s future.

The team’s All-Star player, Scottie Barnes, who is just 23 years old, and Immanuel Quickley, who is 25, both signed lucrative extensions in the off-season, a sign of a commitment to the team’s growth.

How they develop as players and leaders this season will chart the long-term path for the Raptors, even if winning isn’t a priority right now.